When I got back to the sand, he was sitting there, staring at me. I sat down next to him and stayed quiet, just watching the ocean in front of us. In that darkness, I felt this insane peace. I could’ve stayed there for hours, letting the water touch my feet. I’ve always loved that feeling with nature.
My heart was exploding with happiness. The crush of all crushes was right there, next to me. I looked up at the sky and whispered a thank you. Then I made my wish to the stars: that Diego would be my boyfriend.
I glanced at him and there he was, messing with his phone again. I couldn’t hold back and asked:
“Is that your girlfriend you’re texting?”
“Yeah, it’s Lari. She decided to travel with her parents, you know how it is.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you go with her?” I asked, not hiding my curiosity.
“Ah, Rafa, I invited her to come here, I prefer Búzios. But she wanted to go to Angra with her folks. She really wanted me to go, but… I don’t know, it’s her parents’ house and I don’t feel that comfortable there. But, you know, sometimes it’s good to be alone. We respect each other’s space.”
Seriously, right then I thought: “Damn, if he were my boyfriend, I’d wanna be with him all the time.”
Then he flipped it on me:
“What about you, Rafa? You seeing anyone? Hooking up with someone?”
“Nah! No boyfriend, no hookups.”
“C’mon, Rafa! You’re hot. There’s gotta be a ton of guys into you.”
My heart almost jumped out of my mouth. “Is he seriously saying I’m hot?” Oh my God!
“Ah, I don’t know, Diego. It’s not like that,” I let out a shy little laugh.
“Cut it out, Rafa, look at me,” he said, and when our eyes met, my heart shot up into my throat.
“You know you’re hot. I think you’re even hotter than Isabella, you believe that?”
Oh my God! Hotter than Isa? I almost passed out right there.
My face burned instantly. My heart was racing and I didn’t know what to say. I just sat there, frozen… but at the same time dying to hear it again.
“Oh, come on, Diego! Isabella’s insanely beautiful.”
“I’m not kidding. I really think you’re prettier than her.”
He paused and said:
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure!” I answered, already dying with anticipation… what the hell was he about to say?
“I used to be really into Isabella.”
Shit, I didn’t even know what to say. I wasn’t expecting that. But then again… everyone’s always been into Isa. My sister’s perfect.
He noticed the shock on my face:
“That surprise you?” and he laughed.
“But that was a long time ago. I was younger, and she… basically your age.”
“Really????” I looked at him, stunned.
“And her?” I asked.
“Ah, she didn’t give me the time of day. But I don’t even know why I told you that.”
I stared out at the ocean, trying to process it.
“Funny, right? This is the first time we’ve actually talked,” I said after a few minutes of silence.
I lived in his house, but we usually just said hi. The truth was I got completely awkward around him.
“Ah, Rafa… you’re always with Carol,” he answered. And that was true. But he was also always glued to his girlfriend or his friends.
“Wanna walk a little?” I suggested.
He was down. We got up and started walking along the sand.
With every step, it felt like my heart was doing extra beats—like when you’re dropping on a roller coaster. It was this mix of nerves and this crazy urge to get closer to him. And while we walked, our hands kept brushing… and every time it happened, I felt this shock shoot up my arm.
This electricity so strong from my fingertips it ran all the way up my arm, through my chest, and down to my toes. I’d never felt that with anyone. Ever. My whole body reacted like it had taken this hot, scary shock at the same time.
I played it cool. Kept walking, but inside I was a mess.
“These houses are insane, right? Imagine waking up and staring straight at the ocean,” I said, checking out the houses right on the beach. I only said it because he was studying engineering. It was the first thing that came to mind to start a conversation.
Diego stopped for a second and looked around.
“Has to be fucking amazing. You open the gate and your feet are already in the sand… I’d love to live somewhere like this.”
“Yeah, me too,” I answered, but inside all I could think was: “It must be amazing waking up with you next to me, listening to the waves…”
I closed my eyes for a second and pictured it. That would be the perfect future.
We kept walking and talking about the houses for a while, trying to pick which one was the nicest. Some had outdoor lights, but you couldn’t see much detail. It was pitch black out there. No streetlights on that part of the beach, so the only light came from the moon shining above and reflecting on the water, giving everything this magical, movie-romance vibe, you know? All that was missing was the soundtrack playing in the background.
Before we knew it, we were almost at the other end of Geribá beach. I ran to the water, got my feet wet, and we walked back along the shoreline.
“You know, Rafa… I really liked talking to you,” he said on the way back. “I promise I’ll get closer to you.”
“I liked it a lot too, Diego,” I answered, heart pounding. “It’ll be great spending more time together.”
I was so hyped. Seriously, it felt like my heart was gonna burst out of my mouth. He promised he’d get closer… and I just stood there, lost in all the possibilities, imagining a thousand scenes—from talking on the couch to stolen kisses by the pool.